Not so faithful!
Hot Chip’s new album One life stand came out this week and it’s an instant classic. From the initial drumbeats in Thieves in the night (the opening track) expectations begin to rise, and by the time Take it in finishes you’re left with no doubt that One Life Stand will be a big part of 2010.
With electro-pop class in the opening track followed by the less electronic sounding Hand me down your love, which has some great string and piano arrangements, the album starts well.
I feel better kicks in after the slightly melancholic ending to Hand me down your love with a return to synth & drum-machine form. Vocals are a much bigger factor on the album than previous LPs, and Alexis Taylor and Joe Goddard team up well to bring I feel better to life as it develops through a range of sounds ending on some cool electro steel drums.
Perhaps the best two songs of the last two years for drunken dancing have been Ready for the Floor and Over and Over, and their new offering is not without its dance floor move maker. One life stand starts with synth beats designed for shape shifting and grows into the chorus of the year.
The contagion continues with Brothers, which is a super chilled, angelic track that could sooth a bout of thrush, or a wild bear attack, or a wild bear with thrush attacking your rude bits. Erh… Anyway, the midway slow down flows into Slush, which is perhaps the most vocally harmonic song on the album and the biggest departure from their previous work. Then comes the well know Ally Cats, which HC have been playing live throughout 2008/09, carrying on the laid back, mid tempo vocal ambience.
With We have love, we’re nudged out of the bedroom and back to the flashing lights of the living room to get the party vibe back, but it doesn’t last for long. Keep Quiet passes around the sheesha and it all finished with Take it in, which is better placed on a mix tape than a house party play list.
While One Life Stand is a significant change in tempo for Hot Chip, it is their most ear pleasing album to date. With a couple of big kick party starters backed up by a collection of laid back tracks, it’s a sure fire iPod regular for 2010.
Hot Chip, One Life Stand album review: 4/5
